Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 20, No. 40, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 6, 1927 Page: 1 of 6
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SUBSCRIPTION $1.50 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE
PALACIOS, MATAGORDA COUNTY, TEXAS, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1927
VOLUME XX NUMBER 40
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—WHAT DOES PALACIOS NEED?
In last week's paper the writer
promised an answer to the question
"What Does Palacios Need?"
In an article in Scribner's Maga-
zine, some time ago, entitled "The
Sifting Power of Cities," by Ellsworth
Huntington, we have these words:
"Cities are a sign of energy, abil-
ity, wealth, and civilization. They
are a result of these conditions, and
likewise a cause of them. The first
essential for the growth of a big city,
or even of a small town, is people of
special talents.
"But does not the growth of cities
depend primarily on the excellence
of their harbors and transportation
systems, and on the density of the
population which they serve ? This
idea is common, hut wrong. The har-
bors and lines of transportation de-
termine the exact spot where cities
shall be located; they also determine
which of the cities in a given region
shall grow fastest. But if a country
is inhabited only by savages,or stupid
peasants who neither buy nor sell,
and who have no desire for improve-
ment, the very best of harbors and the
easiest lines of communication will
never make a city."
"As to density of population South
Carolina, with 55 people per square
mile has no city larger than Charles-
ton, with about 70,000 people; only 18
per cent of its population live in towns
of over 2,500. California, on the con-
trary with only 22 people per square
mile at the last census, contains two
of the world's great cities; almost 70
per cent of its people live in towns
of at least 2,500." In the case of
South Carolina, negroes form over
the population. California con-
tains an unusuaaily large proportion
of bright, energetic, progressive peo-
ple. Why is this true of California?
Three external things enter into it,
'* ; ' climate, soil, and water. But by far
the greater reason is the progressive
character., of the people themselves.
It seems to be an established fact,
then, that the growth of cities' de-
pends largely on the energy, enter-
prise, and endurance of the people
who live in them. Civilization is the
result of human activity and intelli-
gence.
And now for an answer to o\5r
question. Leaving out the question
of hard roads and paved streets, com-
mercially and industrially Palacios
needs a water rate, such as they have
in Matagorda and Port Lavaca. She
is situated at one end of the county,
and far fr&m the centre of things.
Roy P. Miller, who has worked so
valiantly for the Intra CoasLal Canal,
assures us that it will be an establish-
ed fact in a few years. When this
comes, we'shall have cheap transpor-
jy#-ltation at our very door. Factories
^ have a way of migrating to where
the raw material is, as witness North
Carolina. But, besides her fishing in-
dustry, Palacios has only the shell
in hpr Bays, cotton and a clav suitable,
for tile and pottery. However, it is
only true to say that our town shows
very little sign of growing industrially.
So that a water rate is not the most
pressing need. It is well to work for
it, but it is not the most immediate
need.
From the point of view of agricul-
ture, there is something that is diffi-
cult to explain. Is it true to say that
since the year when tents were first
pitched and men began to build the
town of Palacios, farming has not
been the success it ought to have been.
Why? They have made a success of
it in the Rio Grande Valley, and why
not here? Do we need to adopt dif-
ferent methods? It may be that we
need a larger number of good farmers.
Some of our good farmers have stay-
ey with it, and this season they are
enjoying a measure of prosperity. It
may be that what is needed most of
all is diversified farming. But how
about the question of raising feed?
However, there arc rays of light and
gleams of hope. This season from
the point of view of agriculture is one
o fthem, next season may be another.
A man Said to the writer the other
morning as he looked at a plentiful
supply of flowing water from an arte-
sian well: "This is the best, truck
and best watered district in South
Texas." The writer is informed that
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Mr. L. G. Craymer has raised cabbage
here three weeks ahead of the Valley.
What one man has done, other men
can do, and in other lines, too. There
are three products which floursh here,
figs, Satsuma oranges, and different
kinds of truck.
Having spoken of industry and ag-
riculture, the writer wishes to men-
tion the one thing that has always
contributed to the prosperity, of Pa-
lacios, and that is her climate, 850
miles farther South than Los Angeles,
her Bay, with its fishing and hunting,
and her artesian water. The one
thing that has contributed most large-
ly to Palacios' well-being has been
her tourists. The one thing that'Pa-
lacios can always sell to others, with-
out any exaggeration, is her climate
and her Bay. Th'ere are many north-
ern people jn comfortable circum-
stances who would come and either
winter or settle here permanently.
People love the sunshine, they will
go where the winters are mild. There
is something romantic about the
thought of growing oranges and grape-
fruit and figs and persimmons; having
a garden all the year around, growing
roses and bougainvillaea and magnolia
and queen's wreath. In the next 10
years more and more Northern people
are going to move South. In the
latest number of Forbes Magazine,
nationally-known and nationally cir-
culated, South Texas, our part of it,
is marked excellent from the point of
view of prosperity. Why doesn't Pa-
lacios wake up* and prepare for this
migration from the North ? The writer
wishes to insist again that the one
thing the people of Palacios can
boost, and make much of—without
lying, and capitalize on, is the loca-
tion, the climate, the Bay, the hunt-
ing and fishing, the artesian water,
the gardening and trucking. Let us
li3t what Palacios needs—
(1) Co: operation.
There is great need of a new spirit,
an air of brotherliness, a feeling of
things being accomplished. This lat-
ter is the most important thing, and
it is absent. It is men and women,
bright, forward-looking, and energet-
ic, who make a town; men and women
who are willing to give their time,
and willing to sacrifice, for the good
of the community in which they live.
This is how California and North Car-
olina and the Rio Grande Valley grew.
There are such men and women, in
our little city. PALACIOS MAY
NOT BE GROWING IN NUMBERS
OR IN WEALTH, BUT SHE CAN
GROW CLEANER AND MORE
BEAUTIFUL. No person from the
North would ever dream of calling
Palacios a clean, beautiful little town.
She is beautiful for situation, but not
for cleanliness. What Palacios needs
is unity such as they have all over
the Valley, and we are next door to it
—unity that comes through devotion
to a worth-while cause. This co-op-
eration will take different forms. One
form it must take is that of
(2) A marketing organization.
Look at this form the Houston Chron-
icle of three weeks ago:
"The Farmers' Co-Operative Socie-
ty of Yoakum is putting on a drive
this week to increase the acreage for
the tomatoes for the coming year to
2,000 acres, and to begin preparing
the land at once. This organization,
wheh began in 1925 with nine mem-
bers, has grown in two years to a
membership of 380."
Two or three years ago a wholesale
jobber from Houston told a member of
the Curtis-Sisson Grocery Store that
the best tomatoes from anywhere in
the United States came to Houston
from Palacios. He offered to come
and show how to grade and pack them.
This high grade tomato may not be
possible every season, but at least it
is possible. The writer has seen per-
sons peddling string beans and black
eyed peas from store to store in need
of a little money, and no one to buy
them, and I suppose children at home
to be clothed and fed.
(3) A Tourist Camp. If what has
been said above as to the one thing
our town possesses and ought to
boost, namely our climate and oui
Bay, then Palacios needs a tourist
camp.This ought to be ready for the
coming of the hard road.
(4) A Golf Club. Three families
came to Palacios two years ago to
f]( ~ They're Not All in the Ball Park ] ^
RU.TM
ANOTHER READER OF
"PALACIOS" COLUMN
MAKES COMMENT
Editor Beacon:
The unknown writer of the "Pala-
cios," column made an excellent hit
in his quotation from Burns, for we
are all too familiar with the unkempt
place to be able "To see oursels as
ithers see us."
Visitors from many a spotless town
will be quick to notice all defects so
different from what they are used to.
It means much more than the hasty
cleaning up of weeds and rubbish us-
ually proceeding the army camp pe-
riod.
In order to realize on the publicity
that the through lines of cement roads
will give us, we must show a better
looking town, and there is so much
to do that we must begin now, the
wide awake ones first in order to in-
duce the more slow and conservative
neighbors to follow suit to avoid un-
favorable contrasts, and that will take
time, so the alert ones should start
eai-ly.
I heartily approve of the suggestion
already published, that the City Coun-
cil and Chamber of Commerce arrange
for a mass meeting on general civic
improvement and I would include the
ladies' Civic Club, whose president
ms^de such a good talk along these
lines at a banquet some time ago. I
have reason to know it is high time
to show something for I am not half
done on my block of houses and I
began dress parade a year ago. Each
improvoment calls for another and
better. Try it, and you will find it
more satisfactory than mere making
of money. —R. G. Palmer.
FARM-ALL TRACTOR TO BE
DEMONSTRATED AT J. F.
McGLOTIILIN FARM, WED.
spend part of the winter here. They
were from Ohio, and were all well-
to-do. One of the first things the me*
inquired about was a golf club. There
is a golf club at El Campo, Bay City
and Wharton.
Our City Park needs to be cleaned,
mowed and beautified. If the writer
is correct about the value of tourists
to this community, then another cro-
quet course should be put there, and
a tennis course, too.
(5) N&tural Gas. This is as close
to us as Midfield; it is the cheapest
form of fuel, and the Chamber of
Commerce should inquire into the fea-
sibility of bringing it here, and give
the public the facts.
The writer has not thought it nec-
essary to deal with the question of
street paving with a view to the com-
ing of the hard-surfaced road, as this
has been dealt with before. The one
important question before the citizens
is the bringing of new people here.
New people mean taxes and the build-
ing of new homes, and new homes
mean work and prosperity. New peo-
ple mean new ideas and fresh energy
and progressiveness. A friend said
to the writer the other day—"The
people of Palacios need to think in
terms of the United States." He was
speaking of the value of our location,
climate, bay, etc., and of the neces-
sity for DOING SOMETHING to
bring in new citizons. This writer
would add that the people of Palacios
need to wake up.
Buy a Sugar Cured Ham at the
Quality Market, 25 cents a pound.
Mr. F. G. Cobb, county agent for
the Farmall Tractors, will give a big
demonstration of these tractors in
operation at the J. F. McGlothlin farm
one mile north of the city limits, at
the end of Pavilion Street, next Wed-
nesday, Oct. 12th at 1:30 o'clock P. M.
Mr. Cobb says he has seven of these
celebrated tractors en route which he
expects to have in this demonstration,
and it will certainly be something that
every farmer in this whole community
should see. Besides having regular
equipment of plows, cultivator, plant-
er, and buster, it has accessories of
cotton poisoner, hay rake, mowing
machine and hay loader. In fact, any
farmer v/ith one of these tractors is
well equipped in the way of farm ma-
chinery for the preparation of land
and harvesting of most any crop.
STILLMAN WINFIELD
BUYS INTEREST IN
GOLDEN RULE GROCERY
Mr. Stillman Winfield, who for ov-
er five years was one of the head
clerks in the Curtis-Sisson Grocery
Co. store, has purchased an interest
in .the Golden Rule Grocery, of which
Messrs. C. F. Conner and Harley Lew-
is are associate partners, and began
duties at his new headquarters Wed-
nesday morning.
Mr. Winfield, by his courteous, af-
fable and accommodating manners,
has won for himself a host of friends
who will be glad to learn that he is
to be a permanent fixture in our bus-
iness circles, and that he will be a
great asset to the already popular
Golden Rule. Grocery is a certainty.
PALACIOS HI VS. BAY CITY III
When the Bay City team came out
on the field, the writer felt sure that
they would win by about 40 to nil.
They looked so much superior in
height, size, and weight. Great was
his surprise when the local team held
them throughout the game. The Pa-
lacios team, though so much lighter
than the Black Cats, charged hard,
held the line, and showed much
strength on the defense. Palacios'
aerial attack was better than that of
Bay City. Griasom for Bay City
scored from a pass, and Palacios
blocked the extra point. Sullivan was-,
the hero of the local team, Storey as
'■.ub made one excellent tackle and on
the whole the team acquitted them-
selves admirably. As a team they
are very light, but on the whole they
ought to give a fairly good account
of themselves during the season.
One spectator was very much sur-
prised to see so few Palacios rooters
present at the opening game. Sad to
say, there were almost as many pres-
ent from Bay City as from Palacios.
Could not the stores have closed for
two hours for the opening game, and
will not Palacios encourage their own
High School team better than they
seem to do? .
The groups of girls on both sides—
Palacios and Bay City—who were the
official rooters, were dressed m color-
ful costumes. Bay City were dressed
in yellow. The Palacios girls wore
red vests and white skirts and under
the leadership of Maxine Price, as yell
leader, acquitted themselves well.
M.E.Rogers Buys
The Curtis-Sisson
Grocery Store
Hail and farewell to the Curtis-
Sisson Grocery Company, the pioneer
grocery firm of Palacios-by-t.he-Spa,
which this week passed into history
and is now numbered among the mem-
ories of the past.
As a result of a deal which was con-
summated Tuesday, Mr. M. E. Rogers
became the owner of this prosperous
business house and Messrs. H. L. Cur-
tis and P. J. Sisson, its founders and
former owners, will retire and take a
much needed rest and enjoy the fruits
of their many years of hard and faith-
ful service.
Mr. Curtis, the senior member of
the old firm, expects to retire from
business activities permanently, but
we understand that Mr. Sisson, after
a short vacation, will give his atten-
tion and assistance to the Curtis Auto
Sales Co., of which he is a partner
with Mr. Geo. W. Curtis and which
has grown to such proportions that
it demands more attention than he
wa^ able to give without neglecting
his grocery business.
The Curtis-Sisson Grocery Co. was
founded some 15 years ago, and dur-
ing all that time it has been a great
asset to Palacios and the surrounding
cobijnunity. From the very begin-
ning the business was a success and
grew until it was recognized as one
of the largest and irist prosperous
in the county, and people came from
many miles around to do their trading
at this store.
Curtis and Sisson gave help to the
needy; they had a hearty welcome and
words of cheer and optimism to the
stranger and new-comer; they were
friends to all, and kind, courteous and
fair and square in all their dealings,
and were public spirited and generous
almost to a fault. There was never
a petition for charity or for some en-
terprise that seemed for the good of
the town and community that did not
bear their signature near the top, fol-
lowed by a liberal donation, and their
contributions to these causes would
run into the thousands of dollars.
Being the most successful grocery
merchants in our midst, they were
naturally the best advertisers, and
there has never been an issue of the
Beacon printed since the present Edi-
tor came here .over eight years ago
that has not contained a liberal ad
for this firm. In fact, all along the
line Messrs. Curtis and Sisson have
proved themselves to be the kind of
merchants of which live and prosper-
ous cities are made, and they will
be sadly misse<J from our business cir-
cles.
Mr. Rogers, the new owner, is well
and favorably known throughout this
community, having conducted a gro-
cery store here a few years ago on
Commerce tSreet in the building now
occupied by the Golden Rule Grocery
store, during which time he made a
host of friends who ;will be glad to
learn he is again in business, and that
he will get. a liberal share of the pa-
tronage of this community is assured.
LIBRARY BOARD MEETS;
COMMITTEES REPORTS;
NEW OFFICERS ELECTED
J. K. PAULK HIT BY
AUTO IN HOUSTON;
CONDITION SERIOUS
J. K. Paulk, 77, of Palacios was
knocked down by an automobile late
Sunday at Waugh Drive and West
Drew. His arm, leg and skull were
fractured, and at St. Josephs Infirm-
ary it was said his condition was ser-
ious. Police said Mrs. J. M. Scott of
410 Merrill Street reported that the
aged man stepped in front of her car
and she was unable to avoid hitting
him.
Paulk was visiting his daughter,
Mrs. Phillip Ludwik, of 1230 West
Drew, and was out for a walk at the
time of the accident.—Houston Chron-
icle. .
D. D. Paulk returned from Hous-
ton Wednesday night and reports his
father doing as well as could be ex-
pected. On account of his advanced
age the injuries are all the more ser-
ious. Mr. Paulk's many Palacios
friends regret to learn of his accident
and trust he may soon recover.
FOR RENT—The Mrs. Annie Craw-
ford l'esidence. J. W. Belknap. 40
At the regular meeting of the mem-
bers of the board of the Palacios Li-
brary Association last Saturday af-
ternoon, the work for the past year
was finished with the reports of the
different committees and election of
officers for the ensuing year.
Mrs. J. E. Robinson, chairman of
the membership committee, reported
sixty five reading members for the
year.
Mrs. Charles Luther reported the
finance committee had turned $59.47
into the treasury.
Mrs. G. A. Salsbury, of the house
committee, told of the thorough
cleaning the building had undergone,
needed repair made, new screens put
on some of the windows, lawn taken
care of, etc., as work done by her
committee.
Through the book committee, Mrs.
W. C. Gray chairman, more than sev-
enty books had been placed on the
shelves during the year. Some of
these donated, but about forty new
volumes of fiction hove been purchas-
ed.
Mrs. G. A. Salsbury was elected
president, Mrs. A. G. Skinner re-elect-
ed treasurer, and Mrs. Eliazbeth Rus-
sell retained as librarian, Mrs. O. C.
Arnold, vice president, and Mrs. J. W.
Dismukes secretary.
At the close of the meeting the
new president took charge. Mrs.
Ruthven, who has been president for
the past two years, has been a very
faithful and efficient officer and all
feel the Libray has accomplished a
great deal under her guidance.
Beginning next'Wednesday the Li-
brary will be open every Wednesday
day and Saturday afternoon from 2
to 5 o'clock. Visit the City Library
and see what it has to give you in the
way of reading for your winter ev-
enings.
NEW HARDWARE STORE
HAS RIG OPENING DAY
The big opening of the new Hard-
ware Store, announced for last Sat-
urday came off very auspiciously and
was visited by a host of friends and
customers. The visitors found a very
neat and attractive place of business
with a full stock of new goods in all
lines advertised.
Mr. J. L. Koerber, the proprietor,
and J. B. Kimball, manager, tell us
business of the opening day was very
satisfactory and that the prospects
for an increasing amount are very
flattering, in fact as well as could be
hoped for. ,,
BUILT TWO TOWNS FOR
"RESURRECTION*
I
Two complete Russian villages,
with all the quaintness and simplicity
that grace the landscape of Russia,
were built for Edwin Carewe, director
and co-producer with Inspiration Pic-
tures of "Resurrection," the United
Artists Picture, in which Rod La
Rocque is starred at the Queen Thea-
tre, next Monday and Tuesday.
Anyone acquainted with Russia, and
the thatched root, dwellings of its
peasant farmers, will recognize at once
the scenes depicted in "Resurrection."
These are exact duplicates, for their
construetion was technically super-
vised by none other than Count Uya
Tolstoy, son of Count Leo Tolstoy,
author of the story.
These towns were built on a 100-
acre tract of land about twenty miles
from Hollywood and took 250 men
almost two months to lay the grounds,
find the proper woods and thatch, dig
a stream and supply it with water,
and to secure all the minute details
pcculiur to Russia of the eighties.
With all this work, time and money
expended, the amount of footage
showing the villages docs not extend
over two hundred feet, but at just
the proper time it lends the needed
effect. Hence, it is worth all the ef-
fort put upon it.
FEATHERS BLOW BACK
Mr. and Mrs. M. K. Feather, who
left here about the middle of June
for an extended auto trip through the
northern states and a visit to vneir
old home at Berrien Springs, Mich.,
got back to Palacios Wednesday ev-
ening. So far we have not seen Mr.
Feather to inquire about the trip, but
wc know he had a most glorious time,
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Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 20, No. 40, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 6, 1927, newspaper, October 6, 1927; Palacios, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth412198/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Palacios Library.